Written By
John Dighton
Where and When
23rd – 25th October 1986 @ The Allendale Centre, Wimborne
The Plot
In preparation for the New Year’s day sale, a window dresser has the bright idea of utilizing a special sun lamp in the display window which contains two female dummies and Waldorf, a male dummy fresh from the factory. The lamp’s rays have fantastic properties and turn Waldrof into a beguiling young man and later turn Hathaway, the store’s unpopular owner, into a dummy. While Hathaway is helplessly immobilized, Waldorf revolutionizes the store by throwing a free champagne party. He also thoroughly enjoys himself with the adoring female staff. His human life is short, if exceedingly merry, while Hathaway’s enforced sojourn in the display window has taught him a few valuable lessons.
Ticket Information
Cast
- Waldorf – John Fry
- Belgravia – Carolyn Woodward
- George Ingle – Tony Feltham
- Daphne Jameson – Chrissie Wathen
- Miss Yates – Pam Feltham
- Oakshott – Barbara Trebilco
- Jubilee – Barbara Hurst
- Mr Wembley – Jim Ruegg
- Mr Hathaway – David Green
- The Doorman – Spencer Hare
- Fred – David Woodward
- Miss Butterworth – Rosemary Woodward
- Miss Adshead – Jan Stevenson
- The Police Commisioner – Joe Brooks
Creative Team
- Director – Yvonne Goodman
- Stage Manager – Spencer Hare
- Prompt – Raymonde Grenville
- Properties – Margaret Pope
- Set Design – Spencer Hare
- Lighting – Trevor Lelliott and Roger Grenville
- Front of House – Daphne Young
- Publicity – Carolyn Woodward
- Sound – Muriel Brooks
Gallery
Reviews
A Riot In Store
A department store is thrown into more than unusual confusion on the first day of its January sale in Man Alive by John Dighton, performed by Wimborne Drama Club last week. The trick in the play at the Allendale Theatre, Wimborne, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, is that one of the models in the window also comes magically alive.
David Green as the eponymous store owner has more than enough to cope with but Waldorf, a men’s dummy, suavely played by John Fry, runs riot with the ladies. Companion dummies played by Carolyn Woodward and Barbara Hurst, who is making her debut, can only look on but pass cynical judgemet on the follies of the humans.
Jim Ruegg as the deputy manager nicely counters a domineering head of the ladies’ department effectively played by Pam Feltham and the antics of the store detective played with enthusiam by Barbara Trebilco. Other store attendants and staff are played by Tony Feltham, Chrissie Wathen, Rosemary Woodward, David Woodward, Jan Stevenson and Spencer Hare while Joe Brooks weighs in as the law.
The format might remind audiences of another media department store series but this play dates back to the 50s and provides enough laughs on its own account.